The use of protective headgear is becoming a requisite in more and more sporting activities. The types of protective headgear range from the partial protection of a cycling helmet to the full protection afforded by a football helmet.
One problem with conventional football helmets is that the peripheral field of vision of the wearer is reduced. This is because a conventional football helmet has side walls that are positioned along the side of the face of the wearer. The front edge of each side wall is located laterally of the respective eye in order to provide protection to the side of the head, wherein the respective side walls limit peripheral vision.
Even though football helmets afford full protection to the head of the wearer, there is room for improvement to increase the safety to the wearer and the versatility of use. One such improvement would be to enhance the shock absorptiveness of the helmet. Conventional helmets have an inner shell that is made of foam, which serves to cushion the head against blows to the helmet. The foam, however, has limited shock absorptiveness. Another such improvement would be to decrease the weight of the helmet. Conventional football helmets are made out of polycarbonate (LEXAN) plastic, and as such, are relatively heavy. A lighter helmet would reduce the risk of injury, particularly to the neck of a wearer.
In addition to protection from impacts and shocks, a helmet should provide some type of hearing protection. Conventional helmets have large circular openings located near the ears, to enable the wearer to hear with the helmet on. The inner shell has a notch cut in its lower edge on each side for each ear. Thus, sound enters the ear through the circular side opening and through the underside of the helmet. During a game, players on the football field in a noisy stadium are exposed to high levels of noise. A helmet that would provide hearing protection would reduce the risk of hearing loss to the wearer.